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Wednesday, 18 January 2017

(The Star) Move to help the hardcore poor

KOTA TINGGI: The Government has allocated some RM333.1mil for Housing Project for the Hardcore Poor (PPRT) projects nationwide to develop 2,162 new units and carry out repair works on 12,568 existing houses.

Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that for Johor alone, some RM11.618mil has been allocated to build 90 new houses and repair 506 existing units statewide.

“Now our focus is to look into ways to help these hardcore poor groups to generate a stable income by educating them through relevant workshops, so that they too can start their own businesses,” said Ismail Sabri.

He said this after launching the Taman Sinar Sedili PPRT project on Sunday.

He added that RM500,000 has also been allocated to the residents here for a cows and goats raring programme.

During the ceremony, some 100 hardcore poor families received the keys to their new houses, developed on a 55.98ha plot of land and equipped with basic amenities near Kampung Tanah Putih here.

Each of house at the new PPRT has a built up area of 560sq ft with three rooms, a toilet and a bathroom as well as a living room and kitchen area.

Ismail Sabri (centre) presenting house keys to a recipient of the Taman Sinar Sedili project. Looking on are Johor Public Works, Rural and Regional Development committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad (second from left) and Kota Tinggi Umno division chief Datuk Daing A Malek Daing A Rahaman.

Ismail also said that the RM15.95mil Taman Sinar Sedili PPRT was the first to be equipped with complete basic amenities including a playground, surau, a hall as well as a futsal court.

“This is one of our largest and best PPRT project, as usually we would build between 20 to 30 houses with a surau for each project but this time more infrastructures were included.”

On former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s statement that 1-Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) would be maintained if his party wins the next general election, as it was found to be essential for the rakyat, Ismail said Dr Mahathir’s statements were becoming more and more ridiculous.

He added that the former premier tends to forget and keeps repeating himself and sometimes even retracting his stand on certain matters.

“Maybe he has forgotten that he scrunitised the BR1M and that he had likened it to corruption.

“So how can he now say he wants to take a similar approach if the Opposition comes to power.

The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman’s sudden change in his stand has drawn criticism, with some Barisan Nasional leaders’ calling him a “U-turn champion”.